This lesson describes the role of the rER and the Golgi apparatus in the formation of proteins, the transport within cells and their secretion. The PowerPoint and accompanying resources have been designed to cover point 3.4 of the Edexcel International A-level Biology specification and also includes key details about the role of the cytoskeleton in the transport of the vesicles that contain the protein between the organelles and the membrane. The lesson begins with the introduction of the cytoskeleton and explains how this network of protein structures transverses across the cytoplasm and is fundamental to the transport of molecules between organelles. The lesson has been planned to closely tie in with the previous lesson on the ultrastructure of eukaryotic cells and students are challenged on their knowledge of the function of the organelles involved in protein formation (and modification) through a series of exam-style questions. By comparing their answers against the mark scheme embedded in the PowerPoint, students will be able to assess their understanding of the following: Transcription in the nucleus to form an mRNA strand and the exit of this nucleic acid through the nuclear pore Translation at the ribosomes on the surface of the rER to assemble the protein Transport of the vesicles containing the protein to the Golgi apparatus Modification of the protein at the Golgi apparatus Formation of the Golgi vesicle and its transport to the cell membrane for exocytosis Time is taken to discuss the finer details of this process such as the arrival of the vesicle at the cis face and the transport away from the trans face and the requirement of ATP for the transport of the vesicles along the microtubule track and exocytosis. The remainder of the lesson uses a series of exam-style questions about digestive enzymes (extracellular proteins) to challenge the students on their recall of the structure of starch and proteins

This lesson describes the structures and functions of the components of the mammalian gaseous exchange system. The PowerPoint and accompanying resources have been designed to cover point 3.1.1 [c] of the OCR A-level Biology A specification and contains links to future topics such as transport in animals as well as prior knowledge checks of their recall of the content of previously covered modules. The lesson is filled with a range of activities such as guided discussion periods, exam-style questions (with markschemes) and quiz competitions and these run alongside the slides containing the detailed A-level Biology content to cover the following features: The incomplete rings of cartilage, ciliated pseudostratified columnar epithelium and goblet cells in the trachea The narrowing airways of the primary, secondary and tertiary bronchi The elastic fibres and smooth muscle in the terminal and respiratory bronchioles and the change from simple columnar epithelium to simple cuboidal epithelium The large surface area to volume ratio and the simple squamous epithelium of the alveoli The pleural cavity and fluid of the lungs When describing the production of mucus by the goblet cells in the trachea, time is taken to consider cystic fibrosis and the inheritance of this autosomal recessive disorder. Students will be supported in working out genotypes from a pedigree tree to prepare them for module 6.1.2 (Patterns of inheritance)

This lesson describes how the expression of a gene mutation impairs the functioning of the organ systems in people with cystic fibrosis. The detailed PowerPoint and accompanying worksheets have primarily been designed to cover point 2.16 in AS unit 1 of the Edexcel International A-level Biology specification but also challenge the students on their knowledge of previously-covered topics such as inheritance, protein synthesis and the genetic code as well as making links to the upcoming topics of loci and post-transcriptional changes. The main focus of the lesson is the CFTR gene and the functions of the ion channel that is synthesised when this gene is expressed. As well as explaining that this channel allows chloride ions to flow across the apical membrane of the epithelial cells, time is taken to emphasise the importance of its inhibition on the ENaC, which prevents the flow of sodium ions back into the cells. A step by step guide is then used to describe the sequence of events that result in mucus which is motile and can be moved by the wafting action of the cilia in healthy individuals. This leads into the section of the lesson which considers the inheritance of cystic fibrosis in an autosomal recessive manner and then focuses on the change in the primary structure of the channel which results from one of over 1500 different gene mutations. Again, the students are guided through the events that lead to the depletion of the apical surface liquid and the cilia being unable to move the viscous mucus. Although the majority of the lesson is described with reference to the gaseous exchange system, the impaired functioning of the digestive system in terms of the blockage of the pancreas and liver secretions is considered and discussed and the students are challenged on their understanding through a range of exam-style questions. All of the questions included in the lesson have mark schemes which are embedded into the PowerPoint and this allows the students to assess their progress. Due to the detailed content of this lesson, it is estimated that it will take in excess of 3 hours of allocated A-level teaching time to cover

This detailed and fully-resourced lesson describes the structure and properties of the cell membrane, focusing on the phospholipid bilayer and membrane proteins. The PowerPoint and accompanying worksheets have been designed to cover point 2.2 of the Pearson Edexcel A-level Biology A specification and makes links to the fluid mosaic model which is covered in greater detail in the next lesson. Students were introduced to triglycerides in topic 1 and the start of this lesson challenges them to recall the structure of this lipid to identify the shared features of a phospholipid. This introduces the structure of this macromolecule as a glycerol molecule, two fatty acids and a phosphate group. Time is taken to look at the differing properties of the phosphate group and the fatty acid tails so that students become comfortable with the terms hydrophobic and hydrophilic. At this point, the class is given an opportunity to discuss how the phospholipids are arranged when both the inside and outside of the cell contains an aqueous solution and the phospholipid bilayer as the fabric of the membrane is subsequently met. In a link to some upcoming lessons on the transport mechanisms, the students will learn that only small, non-polar molecules can move by simple diffusion through the tails of the bilayer. This introduces the need for transmembrane proteins to allow large or polar molecules to move into the cell by facilitated diffusion and active transport. It is at this point of the lesson that students will meet the fluid mosaic model and will begin to understand how this describes the dynamic nature of the membrane as well as explaining the interaction with the environment. Moving forwards, the structure of cholesterol is covered and students will learn that this hydrophobic molecule sits in the middle of the tails and therefore acts to regulate membrane fluidity. The final part of the lesson challenges the students to apply their newly-acquired knowledge to a series of questions where they have to explain why proteins may have moved when two cells are used and to suggest why there is a larger proportion of these proteins in the inner mitochondrial membrane than the outer membrane.

This fully-resourced lesson describes how light and electron microscopy can be used to observe cells and cell structures. The engaging PowerPoint and accompanying resources have been designed to cover the content of points 2.1.1 (a) & (f) of the OCR A-level Biology A specification and also describes the difference between magnification and resolution As this is likely to be one of the very first lessons that students cover in their A-level studies, it’s important to maintain motivation from the off whilst covering the detailed and important content of microscope studies. In line with this, all of the lessons in module 2.1.1 (cell structure) have an ongoing quiz competition where points can be won in rounds that introduced key terms and values. A quiz scoresheet is included within the resources so that the teacher can keep track of the scores over the 7 lessons in the module and the winning team can be revealed at the end of the last lesson. In this lesson, the quiz rounds are interspersed between a range of tasks which cover the following content: The use of the light microscope to observe cells The total magnification as a product of the power of the eyepiece and objective lens An introduction to the importance of staining The difference between magnification and resolution The use of the TEM The use of the SEM Due to the detail included in this lesson, it is estimated that it will take in excess of 2 hours of allocated A-level teaching time to cover the content

This lesson describes how molecules move across the cell membrane by the passive methods of simple and facilitated diffusion. The PowerPoint and accompanying resources have been designed to cover the first part of specification point 2.1.5 (d) [i] of the OCR A-level Biology A specification and the factors that increase the rate of diffusion are covered along with the limitations imposed by the phospholipid bilayer and the role of channel and carrier proteins. The structure and properties of cell membranes were described in the lesson covering 2.1.5 (b), so this lesson has been written to include continual references to the content of that lesson. This enables links to be made between the movement across a cell membrane with the concentration gradient, the parts of the membrane that are involved and any features that may increase the rate at which the molecules move. A series of questions about the alveoli are used to demonstrate how a large surface area, a short diffusion distance and the maintenance of a steep concentration gradient will increase the rate of simple diffusion. One of two quick quiz rounds is then used to introduce temperature and size of molecule as two further factors that can affect simple diffusion. The remainder of the lesson focuses on facilitated diffusion and describes how transmembrane proteins are needed to move small, polar or large molecules from a high concentration to a lower concentration across a partially permeable membrane

This lesson uses step by step guides to describe how to calculate the surface area to volume ratio. The PowerPoint and accompanying resources are part of the first lesson in a series of 2 lessons which have been designed to cover the detail of points 8.2 and 8.3 of the Edexcel GCSE Biology & Combined Science specifications. The calculation of the SA/V ratio can be an area of the course that students find difficult so this lesson breaks the calculation into parts to guide them through each step. The students are shown how to calculate the surface area, then the volume and then how to express the answer of the division calculation as a ratio against 1. After each step, the students are given the opportunity to apply their understanding and all questions have mark schemes with full workings embedded into the PowerPoint to allow the students to self-assess. Students also tend to struggle to see the relevance to Biology so the remainder of the lesson involves the calculation of the ratio for the alveoli in the human body. Students will discover that the surface area to volume ratio is significantly increased in these gas exchange surfaces which leads into the upcoming lesson on the adaptations of the alveoli to overcome the overall low ratio in larger organisms.

This revision resource includes exam questions, understanding checks and quiz competitions, all of which have been designed with the aim of motivating and engaging the students whilst they assess their understanding of the content found in topic 1.1 (Cells and movement across cell membranes) of the WJEC GCSE Biology specification. The range of activities have been designed to cover as much of the content as possible but the following sub-topics have been given particular attention: Active transport as an active process The differentiation of cells in animal and plants to become adapted for specific functions Osmosis The functions of the organelles of animal and plant cells Enzymes as proteins which speed up reactions The active site, substrates and enzyme-substrate complexes The effect of pH on enzyme activity Diffusion as a passive process, which allows substances including oxygen and carbon dioxide to pass across a membrane

This is a fully-resourced REVISION lesson which prepares the students for the various types of questions that they can encounter on PAPER 1 of the Pearson Edexcel GCSE Combined Science course. The lesson uses a wide range of activities to challenge the students on their knowledge of the content of topics B1 - B5 and has been specifically designed for students taking the HIGHER TIER exam. The lesson has been designed to take place within a hospital and the students will then visit a number of wards, the pharmacy, the hospital cafe and the museum to allow the following specification topics to be covered: Cancer and uncontrolled cell division Meiosis and the production of gametes Mitosis and the cell cycle Sex determination The difference between communicable and non-communicable diseases The spread of communicable diseases by pathogens Diseases caused by the four different pathogens The use of antibiotics to treat bacterial infections Evolution by natural selection in bacteria and animals Genetic terminology The structure of DNA Inheritance of disorders caused by dominant and recessive alleles The central nervous system and other structures involved in nervous reactions Reflex arcs Risk factors of non-communicable diseases Osmosis Fossils as evidence for human evolution In order to cater for the different abilities that can be found in Combined Science classes, most of the tasks have been differentiated 2 or 3 ways and there are also step by step guides to walk the students through the more difficult concepts like evolution by natural selection and genetic diagrams. To maintain engagement throughout the lesson, 8 quiz rounds have been written into the lesson which will challenge the students to work within their teams and compete for a range of team points. The size of this lesson means that it is likely to take in excess of 3/4 teaching hours to cover the detail as necessary and therefore this allows the resource to be used at numerous points throughout the duration of the course as well as just before the terminal exam.

This fully-resourced lesson describes how the mechanisms by which water upwards in the xylem to the leaves and then into the air. The detailed PowerPoint and accompanying, differentiated resources have primarily been designed to cover the second part of point 3.1.3 (d) as detailed in the OCR A-level Biology A specification This lesson has been written to follow on from the end of the previous lesson, which finished with the description of the transport of the water and mineral ions from the endodermis to the xylem. Students are immediately challenged to use this knowledge to understand root pressure and the movement by mass flow down the pressure gradient. Moving forwards, time is taken to study the details of transpiration pull and the interaction between cohesion, tension and adhesion in capillary action is explained. Understanding is constantly checked through a range of tasks and prior knowledge checks are also written into the lesson to challenge the students to make links to previously covered topics such as the structure of the transport tissues. The final part of the lesson considers the journey of water through the leaf and ultimately out of the stomata in transpiration. A step by step guide using questions to discuss and answer as a class is used to support the students before the final task challenges them to summarise this movement out of the leaf.

This lesson describes the formation of dipeptides & polypeptides and the different levels of protein structure with reference to specific examples in living organisms. Both the engaging PowerPoint and accompanying resources have been designed to cover specification points 2.1.2 (l) & (m) of the OCR A-level Biology A course and make continual links to previous lessons such as amino acids as well as to upcoming lessons like antibodies. The start of the lesson focuses on the formation of a peptide bond during a condensation reaction so that students can understand how a dipeptide is formed and therefore how a polypeptide forms when multiple reactions occur. The main part of the lesson describes the different levels of protein structure. A step by step guide is used to demonstrate how the sequences of bases in a gene acts as a template to form a sequence of codons on a mRNA strand and how this is translated into a particular sequence of amino acids known as the primary structure. The students are then challenged to apply their understanding of this process by using three more gene sequences to work out three primary structures and recognise how different genes lead to different sequences. Moving forwards, students will learn how the order of amino acids in the primary structure determines the shape of the protein molecule, through its secondary, tertiary and quaternary structure and time is taken to consider the details of each of these. There is a particular focus on the different bonds that hold the 3D shape firmly in place and a quick quiz round then introduces the importance of this shape as exemplified by enzymes, antibodies and hormones. Students will see the differences between globular and fibrous protein and again biological examples are used to increase relevance. The lesson concludes with one final quiz round called STRUC by NUMBERS where the students have to use their understanding of the protein structures to calculate a numerical answer.

This lesson describes the properties of gas exchange surfaces and shows how Fick’s law of diffusion is dependent on these properties. The PowerPoint and accompanying worksheets have been designed to cover points 2.1 (i & ii) of the Pearson Edexcel A-level Biology A (Salters Nuffield) specification and there is a particular focus on the relationship between the size of an organism or structure and its surface to volume ratio. Adolf Fick is briefly introduced at the start of the lesson and the students will learn that his law of diffusion governs the diffusion of a gas across a membrane and is dependent on three properties. The students are likely to know that surface area is one of these properties but although they may have been introduced to the surface area to volume ratio at GCSE, their understanding of its relevance tends to be mixed. Therefore, real life examples are included throughout the lesson that emphasise the importance of this ratio in order to increase the relevance. A lot of students worry about the maths calculations that are associated with this topic so a step by step guide is included at the start of the lesson to walk them through the calculation of the surface area, the volume and then the ratio. Through worked examples and understanding checks, SA/V ratios are calculated for cubes of increasing side length and living organisms of different size. These comparative values will enable the students to conclude that the larger the organism or structure, the lower the surface area to volume ratio. A differentiated task is then used to challenge the students to explain the relationship between the ratio and the metabolic demands of an organism and this leads into the next part of the lesson, where the adaptations of a human to increase the ratio at the gas exchange surface is covered. The students will calculate the SA/V ratio of a human alveolus (using the surface area and volume formulae for a sphere) and will see the significant increase that results from the folding of the membranes. The remainder of the lesson introduces concentration difference and thickness of membrane as the other two properties in Fick’s law of diffusion and students are reminded that the maintenance of a steep concentration gradient and a reduction in the diffusion distance are critical for this transport mechanism. This lesson has been specifically planned to prepare students for the next lesson which describes how the structure of the mammalian lung is adapted for rapid gas exchange (specification point 2.1 [iii])

This lesson describes the secretion of peptide and steroid hormones by endocrine glands and their differing effects on target cells. The detailed PowerPoint and accompanying resources have been primarily designed to cover point 5.1.4 (a) of the OCR A-level Biology A specification but also makes clear links to upcoming lessons in this module as well as to topics such as transcription factors which are covered in module 6.1.1 Students should have a base knowledge of the endocrine system from GCSE so this lesson has been planned to build on that knowledge and to add the detail needed at this level. The lesson begins by challenging this knowledge to check that they understand that endocrine glands secrete these hormones directly into the blood. Students will learn that most of the secreted hormones are peptide (or protein) hormones and a series of exam-style questions are used to challenge them on their recall of the structure of insulin as well as to apply their knowledge to questions about glucagon. Moving forwards, the students are reminded that hormones have target cells that have specific receptor sites on their membrane. The relationship between a peptide hormone as a first messenger and a second messenger on the inside of the cell is covered in detail in an upcoming lesson but students are briefly introduced to G proteins and cyclic AMP so they are prepared. The rest of the lesson focuses on steroid hormones and specifically their ability to pass through the membrane of a cell and to bind to transcription factors, as exemplified by oestrogen.

This engaging and fully-resourced lesson explores how genetic drift can arise after a population bottleneck or as a result of the Founder effect. The detailed PowerPoint and accompanying resources have been designed to cover points 8.3 (ii) & (iii) of the Edexcel A-level Biology B specification A wide range of examples are used to show the students how a population that descends from a small number of parents will have a reduction in genetic variation and a change in the frequency of existing alleles. Students are encouraged to discuss new information to consider key points and understanding checks in a range of forms are used to enable them to check their progress and address any misconceptions. Students are provided with three articles on Huntington’s disease in South Africa, the Caribbean lizards and the plains bison to understand how either a sharp reduction in numbers of a new population beginning from a handful of individuals results in a small gene pool. Links to related topics are made throughout the lesson to ensure that a deep understanding is gained.

This lesson describes how the structures of the xylem vessel elements, phloem sieve tube elements and companion cells relates to their functions. Both the engaging and detailed PowerPoint and accompanying resources have been designed to cover point 7.1 (d) of the CIE International A-level Biology specification. The lessons begins by challenging the students to identify the substances that a plant needs for the cellular reactions, where they are absorbed and where these reactions occur in a plant. The aim of this task is to get the students to recognise that water and mineral ions are absorbed in the roots and needed in the leaves whilst the products of photosynthesis are in the leaves and need to be used all over the plant. Students will be reminded that the xylem and phloem are the vascular tissues responsible for transporting these substances and then the rest of the lesson focuses on linking structure to function. A range of tasks which include discussion points, exam-style questions and quick quiz rounds are used to describe how lignification results in the xylem as a hollow tube of xylem cells to allow water to move as a complete column. They will also learn that the narrow diameter of this vessel allows capillary action to move water molecules up the sides of the vessel. The same process is used to enable students to understand how the structures of the companion cells allows assimilates to be loaded before being moved to the sieve tube elements through the plasmodesmata. It is estimated that it will take around 2 hours of A-level teaching time to cover the detail which has been written into this lesson.

This concise lesson describes the essential features of the alveolar epithelium as a surface over which gas exchange takes place. The engaging PowerPoint has been designed to cover the fourth part of point 3.2 of the AQA A-level Biology specification and also includes an introduction to ventilation which is covered in the following lesson. Gas exchange at the alveoli is a topic that was covered at GCSE so this lesson has been written to challenge the recall of that knowledge and to build on it. The main focus of the lesson is the type of epithelium found lining the alveoli and students will discover that a single layer of flattened cells known as simple, squamous epithelium acts to reduce the diffusion distance. Again, students will have met this in a lesson in topic 2 on specialised cells (and tissues) so a number of prior knowledge checks are used alongside current understanding checks. The following features of the alveolar epithelium are also covered: Surface area Moist lining Production of surfactant The maintenance of a steep concentration gradient As a constant ventilation supply is critical for the maintenance of the steep concentration gradient, the final part of the lesson considers the mechanism of ventilation to prepare the students for the next lesson.

This lesson describes how to investigate the distribution and abundance of organisms and how to estimate the numbers of a species in a habitat. The PowerPoint and accompanying resources are part of the first lesson in a series of two lessons which have been designed to cover the details of point B6.1a of the OCR GCSE Biology specification. This first lesson focuses on the use of a quadrat to estimate population size as well as belt transects to consider distribution. Step by step guides are used throughout the lesson to model the workings required in the calculations. This includes the use of a 1 metre squared quadrat as well as other areas. Once a method has been modelled, the students are challenged with a series of exam questions and mark schemes are embedded into the PowerPoint to allow the students to self-assess.

This lesson describes how cholera, measles, malaria, TB and HIV are transmitted from an infected individual to an uninfected individual. The PowerPoint and accompanying worksheet have been primarily designed to cover point 10.1 [c] of the CIE A-level Biology specification but intricate planning ensures that the students are constantly challenged on their recall of the content of the previous lesson where the names and types of pathogens that caused these diseases was covered. The lesson contains a wide range of tasks which will engage the students whilst challenging them to think about the biological content. Relevant examples such as the UK government’s public message of “HANDS, FACE, SPACE” are used to explain how measles, TB and HIV are directly transmitted through droplet infection or the exchange of bodily fluids. A series of exam-style questions challenge the students on their knowledge of the transmission of HIV and the mark scheme is embedded into the PowerPoint to allow them to assess their progress. The rest of the lesson focuses on the transmission of cholera and malaria in unsafe water and through a vector respectively. Again, the students are challenged to recall the name and type of pathogen that is the causative organism before details of the spread are discussed and described.

This fully-resourced lesson looks at the use of electrocardiograms to aid the diagnosis of CVD and other heart conditions. The engaging PowerPoint and accompanying resources have been designed to cover point 7.8 (iii) of the Pearson Edexcel A-level Biology A (Salters Nuffield) specification but also make continual links to earlier specification points like 1.4 and 1.5 where heart topics were previously covered. The lesson has been written to take place in an imaginary cardiology ward where the students are initially challenged on their knowledge of the symptoms and risk factors of CVD before looking at testing through the use of ECGs and diagnosis. The main focus of the lesson is the ECG and a quiz competition is used to introduce the reference points of P, QRS and T before time is taken to explain their representation with reference to the cardiac cycle. Moving forwards, a SPOT the DIFFERENCE task is used to challenge the students to recognise differences between sinus rhythm and some abnormal rhythms including tachycardia and atrial fibrillation. Bradycardia is used as a symptom of sinus node disfunction and the students are encouraged to discuss this symptom along with some others to try to diagnose this health problem. This lesson has been designed to tie in with the lesson that covers the previous specification point on the normal electrical activity of the heart and the myogenic nature of cardiac muscle

This lesson describes the meaning of the terms stroke volume and heart rate and explains how to use them to calculate the cardiac output. The PowerPoint and accompanying resources have been designed to cover the content of specification point 8.12 of the Edexcel GCSE Biology & Combined Science specifications. The lesson begins by challenging the students to use their knowledge of the structure of the heart chambers to identify the one which has the most muscular wall. Their discussions should lead to the left ventricle and following the introduction of the key term stroke volume using a quick quiz competition, they will learn that this factor is the volume of blood pumped out of the left ventricle each heart beat. Another competition introduces the normative values for stroke volume and the resting heart rate and then the students are challenged to use the provided equation to calculate the cardiac output and to write a definition for this factor using their current understanding. The remainder of the lesson considers how these three factors change during exercise and they are challenged to apply their understanding through a series of exam questions. This worksheet is differentiated two ways and the mark scheme is embedded into the PowerPoint to allow the students to assess their progress.